I left Leo & Susie’s ahead of schedule, and I’ll tell you folks, it is a good thing that I did because Birmingham’s rush hour turned out to be every bit as bad as I’d heard. I won’t complain about Atlanta’s again for at least three weeks. Complicating things up front, there’s about a two-mile stretch between not-quite-finished I-22 and I-65 that hasn’t been completed yet, and eastbound traffic exits onto a road called Coalburg, and absolutely everybody takes that down to 41st Avenue and cuts over. These roads were not meant for this volume of traffic. It’s like driving across trenches. Then you get on the I-59/I-20 connector and it’s every man for himself. For the rest of my life, I’m going to do my level best to avoid Birmingham Fridays between four and six. Continue reading “Circumnavigating the Tennessee River Valley – part nine”
Category: alabama
Circumnavigating the Tennessee River Valley – part eight
Of all the restaurants that I planned to visit on this circumnavigation, Leo & Susie’s Famous Green Top Bar-B-Q – my heavens, what a great name! – was the one that I looked forward to the most. About three years ago, I discovered the work of the Southern Foodways Alliance and their “Southern BBQ Trail.” This is, if you have not already found it, an invaluable resource for barbecue lovers. In Alabama, this restaurant is one of twelve to be spotlighted via one of Amy Evans’ completely terrific oral histories. Please go give this a read and a listen if you’ve not already, and if it doesn’t leave you craving a visit, something might very well be badly wrong with you. (Evans covered all the details about how the meat and sauce are prepared in her interview with Richard Headrick, so I’ll point the curious among you that way.) Continue reading “Circumnavigating the Tennessee River Valley – part eight”
Circumnavigating the Tennessee River Valley – part seven
Because when I’m on a circumnavigation I am constantly racing against the clock, it is very difficult to actually schedule time to meet with anybody. Any time I can shave a few minutes here or there, the better! However, since this trip would be taking me into the Huntsville metro area, where our friends Vincent and Helen live, I wanted to make certain that we could break some bread together. Finding the right place would be a little challenging. Continue reading “Circumnavigating the Tennessee River Valley – part seven”
Circumnavigating the Tennessee River Valley – part six
I was running a little ahead of schedule as I made my way out of Florence, having enjoyed myself a great deal. Good thing, too, because I had an idea that I might enjoy a little leg-stretching and would need the minutes. My next destination was Dub’s Burgers in the town of Athens, and I found that there was a classic dairy bar just a tenth of a mile’s walk away. I figured that a quick counter meal at Dub’s and a walk to Kreme Delite and back wouldn’t take forty minutes, and then I could get on to my next destination and walk around the parking lot a few times before meeting with friends. This would not work out quite right. Continue reading “Circumnavigating the Tennessee River Valley – part six”
Circumnavigating the Tennessee River Valley – part five
Coming into Alabama on US-72, there are four large towns which are referred to as either the Quad Cities or The Shoals: Florence, Tuscumbia, Sheffield, and Muscle Shoals. As I entered Tuscumbia, I noticed that the Alabama Music Hall of Fame – it’s still open to the public, unlike Georgia’s – counts Buffalo Rock among its sponsors. I reminded myself to find a grocery store and bring home a twelve-pack, and promptly forgot. I remembered when I got home and recounted the trip to my family, slapped myself in the head, stood up and said “I’ll be back in three and a half hours…” Continue reading “Circumnavigating the Tennessee River Valley – part five”
Klingler’s Cafe, Vestavia Hills AL
This is Marie, once again contributing an article that is primarily about dessert, although rain, congestion, and comments on the works of Douglas Adams will also become important along the way.
A reader, Mark Vick, sent a recommendation that we might enjoy stopping here. We were not able to make it by the bookstore that he also told us about on this trip, but I’m always happy to make time for cake. Klingler’s Cafe is also listed on the famous 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die (PDF), a bucket list put together by that state’s department of tourism, and which Grant reads while licking his lips. I don’t necessarily approve of having a definitive bucket list, as I firmly believe that people change enough during their lives to change their tastes. If you don’t believe me, think about your favorite food when you were five, the one you had to have at least once a week or you’d sulk and refuse your dinner. Is it still your favorite now, or has the item changed into an occasionally indulged comfort snack? Continue reading “Klingler’s Cafe, Vestavia Hills AL”
Two Dairy Bars in Northeast Bama
While dairy bars are not unknown in Georgia – we’ve visted, for example, Dari Spot near Gainesville and Jiffy Freeze in Canton – the actual name “dairy bar” is very uncommon. The only place in the state that I’ve found that uses that name is a joint called Cree-Mee down near Unadilla. In Alabama, the term is more widely used. Just so we’re on the same page, I’m talking about little places that specialize in no-frills fast food and soft serve ice cream, effectively the same sort of food that you could typically expect to find at a Dairy Queen, but independent, local and, usually, very old. Continue reading “Two Dairy Bars in Northeast Bama”
Marie, Let's Eat! 